Rockets’ pecking order, pace still a puzzle as preseason nears end

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The Rockets departed Tuesday afternoon for their final two exhibition games as a team of ups and downs — both in terms of what they hope will be their pace on the court and in the players’ pecking order as the regular season approaches.

Coach Kevin McHale said he hopes Wednesday’s game at New Orleans and a Friday game at Orlando will give the Rockets a chance to re-establish the quick pace he said has been lacking at practice this week as the team has installed new plays and reviewed recently installed sets.

But while McHale said the feel of the last two preseason games will be closer to regular-season intensity than not, he still has questions about his roster and his rotation that will continue well beyond the regular-season opener Oct. 31 in Detroit.

“We are looking at everything,” he said. “There is a chance for guys to move up and down in the pecking order a little bit. … There is a chance of guys moving up and down more than just this coming week. There’s a chance of them moving up and down in the next couple of months.

“I’m not sure we’re going to be absolutely set on what we are going to do. Some guys play better in practice. Some guys play better in games.”

In an effort to ensure a quicker pace Wednesday night, McHale said he probably will use a quicker hook in substituting to “get us playing the level of up-and-down the way we want to play it.”

And if nothing else, it will be a chance for the Rockets to escape the drudgery of playing against each other, as they have over the last week in their mini-training camp session at Toyota Center.

“We’ll get some good run together so we can get the chemistry down. I think we (starters) will see more minutes,” forward Chandler Parsons said. “We’ll be in and out like a regular rotation, not just in the first quarter and out the second.”

These games, said third-year guard Jeremy Lin, are a chance to “keep attacking, keep growing, be aggressive. We’re getting familiar with sets and continuing to build on the chemistry.

“Once Oct. 31 comes around, everything counts. We’re going to try to be as good as we can be. At this point, it’s not about pacing ourselves. We want to be sure we can build some momentum.”

At the same time, Parsons said, roster cuts are looming, and decisions must be made leading into the season opener.

“This is the last chance for some of these guys to leave an impression on the coaching staff before cuts, so they may give those guys some time,” he said.

In keeping with McHale’s recent rhetoric, Parsons and veteran guard Carlos Delfino said the Rockets’ primary improvement over the last week has been on defense.

“We’re really communicating, getting back in transition, understanding who is going to the offensive glass and who isn’t,” Parsons said. “We’ve benefited from this last week.”